Cloak of Responsibility

In all the years I have been doing this blog, I have made a point of keeping politics out of the discussion. With a few exceptions, I have tried keeping my own political views to myself. For one reason, as there are already tons of blogs where people spout off their political leanings, the last thing the world needs is another one.  And, secondly, one focusing entirely on communication and its impact on our lives, my reasoning goes, is more unique and perhaps even of benefit to some folks. Yet as I write, our nation's current presidential campaign is in full-throttle. As a result of the dangerous rhetoric from one of the candidates - Donald Trump - I want to share a couple of observations.

I begin with recent Trump's recent indirect call for his opponent, Hillary Clinton, to be assassinated. Even though Trump later claimed to be making a joke, the fact his initial comment for supporters to consider a "second amendment solution" when it comes to Clinton is the height of irresponsibility. (The second amendment, of course, provides citizens with the right to bear arms.) Words matter. Yes, this straight-forward truism has been stated many times before. It bears repeating now. When one becomes a presidential candidate, they step into a rare place where the possibility of their becoming leader of the free world is quite real. The result is what they say and do matters. For good and bad, it affects people and inspires them to take actions to help their candidate win. That, after all, is the whole point of campaigning. 

Trump seems oblivious to the grave cloak of responsibility he has taken on following his becoming the Republican Party's official nominee. He remains of a mind that he can continue to say pretty much anything that pops into his mind without regard for the possible consequences. This is not unlike becoming a parent or spouse. When one moves into one of those roles, what they say and/or do is no longer just about them. All they communicate has impact. The same holds true when becoming a presidential nominee except on a much broader scale. His irresponsible words have taken the current presidential campaign into an ugly level where now both candidates are now at greater risk. Words matter.